Art Advisor Settles Case with Patron Couple Who ‘Treated Him Like a Son’

The case against Amir Shariat has been settled in what must be seen as a victory for the Malekis who were incensed to discover the younger Shariat was making money from their art transactions:

Eskandar and Fatima Maleki, who have a world-famous collection of Old Masters and contemporary art, said they treated art dealer and curator, Amir Shariat, “like a son”. The couple, whose £22 million Mayfair mansion is decorated with many of their artworks, said they for years viewed Mr Shariat as “one of the family”. However, during a week-long case, they claimed he had repaid their kindness by milking profits from their interest in art, without their knowledge or consent. They claimed he owed them around $1 million and that, had they known what he was up to, they would have “kicked him out” of their house.

However, Mr Shariat vigorously defended the claim and insisted that, despite being “very close” to the couple, they had a “commercial” relationship when it came to art. He insisted that he would never have agreed to work for free and that any profits he made was no more than his due. On Monday, the 10-day hearing of the case was brought to an abrupt halt when Mrs Justice Andrews was told that confidential settlement terms had been agreed. The couple’s lawyers earlier claimed that, in a series of deals over a nine-year period, Mr Shariat made money without telling them or getting their agreement. During that time, the Malekis acquired via Mr Shariat works by British sculptor, Gary Webb, and the American conceptual artist, Glenn Ligon.